“For the past three months, we have asked people throughout San Diego to help protect the freedom of law-abiding Americans,” said Dave Doctor, organizer of the campaign. “Now we will go directly to our politicians. They are the only ones who can restore our freedom because they are the ones who stole it.”

Doctor claims that the campaign is about tolerance. Though our politicians may believe that those under 18 should be home by 10 pm, he said that all people should have the freedom to set their own daily schedules.

“The curfew is as rude as a daily wake-up call from Susan Golding,” said Doctor. “Our intolerant mayor may believe that staying out late, drinking coffee, and eating junk food are harmful but that doesn’t mean these actions should be illegal. Teenagers, and every other American, should only be arrested if they are harming another individual or another individual’s property.”

In response to the campaign, one politician mentioned that, “it is too bad that a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch.” Doctor believes that the statement applies to fruit, not humans.

“It is possible to pick out and punish criminals without compromising the freedom of law-abiding Americans,” said Doctor.

After more than two months of protesting, the campaign has assembled a devoted group of volunteers. Doctor organizes the campaign and now relies on more than 20 volunteers to distribute flyers throughout the city.

“At first, two other Libertarians and I were the only ones promoting the campaign,” said Doctor. “Now, each week, new people call to help out. We eventually want to have student clubs at every high school. Teenagers must learn how to stop the government’s lifestyle laws.”

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“Like the dolphins caught in the tuna nets, honest Americans are being unjustly caught in the curfew’s net of intolerance,” said Dave Doctor, organizer of the Campaign to Repeal the Curfew. “In this city, one used to be able to travel freely, now, people under 18 are threatened by the net of intolerance. If they are not going to a city-approved activity, they will be arrested.”

Doctor hopes that the fishing net will help people understand the purpose of the city’s curfew. “The curfew law is used to forbid all Americans under 18 from hanging out,” said Doctor. “Our campaign will cut the city’s net of intolerance and allow peaceful, honest Americans the freedom to hang out during the beautiful nights in San Diego.”

Doctor also claims that the curfew law ridicules the First Amendment. “The law forbids hanging out unless a citizen is exercising his First Amendment right to peacefully assemble,” said Doctor. “That is like saying women can’t vote unless they exercise their 19th Amendment right to vote.”

Tonight’s protest will begin at 10 pm in Mission Bay Park across from the Belmont Roller Coaster. The Campaign to Repeal the Curfew began on July 11th, 1997 and has held protests throughout the city of San Diego.

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“This was our most successful protest march,” said Dave Doctor, organizer of the campaign. “We had more than 70 protesters and everyone remained peaceful. Our campaign is about giving honest people, like the ones who were here tonight, the freedom which they deserve.”

Doctor said that protests maintain a free society. “Without protests, women, Blacks, and those people who are 18, 19, and 20 years old, would not be able to vote,” said Doctor. “Our campaign will ensure that people under the age of 18 have the fundamental freedom to peacefully assemble. In San Diego, hanging out will not be a crime.”

The campaign’s next protest is Saturday night, August 30th, at 10 p.m., in Mission Bay Park, across from the Belmont Roller Coaster.

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“For the past 6 weeks, we have told San Diego that crime prevention should not place honest Americans under house arrest,” said Dave Doctor, organizer of the campaign. “On Saturday night, we will bring our message to the nation.”

The curfew law forbids those under 18 from being out past 10 pm. Doctor said that this is a clear violation of the First Amendment which states that Congress shall make no law which prohibits the right of people peacefully to assemble. “In 1997, that means the right to hang out,” said Doctor.

“Unlike Article One of the Constitution which sets a minimum age for Senators and Congressional Representatives, there is no minimum age in the First Amendment,” said Doctor. “The Founding Fathers wanted to guarantee the freedom to assemble to all citizens, regardless of age. By violating this right, our local politicians have proven that not even the Constitution will stop them from controlling our lives.”

Doctor plans to promote the campaign at high schools throughout the county. Last week, the Eastlake Edge, the newspaper of Eastlake High School, printed a story about the campaign. Today, he and fellow protester, Antonio Grajeda, will distribute campaign flyers at Eastlake High School at 7 a.m.

“All teenagers in San Diego will know about our campaign and learn about their rights,” said Doctor. “Our campaign will teach them that civil liberties belong to all Americans.”

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“Last Saturday night’s march energized all of the protesters,” said Dave Doctor, organizer of the campaign. “We met hundreds of people who support our campaign. We are returning to La Jolla to find even more.”

Doctor said that he is leading this campaign because the curfew violates the civil rights of human beings. “Regardless of age, gender, and race, all human beings are related to one another. Those people who support the curfew have used the knife of intolerance to cut the human relationship they share with teenagers,” said Doctor.

The city politicians claim that the curfew is a tool to fight crime. “They use the curfew as a tool but not in their war on crime,” said Doctor. “Like the Baptists who are boycotting Disney, the politicians use the curfew in their war of intolerance.”

The protesters are meeting at the corner of Girard and Silverado at 7:30 p.m. and will march along Prospect St. beginning at 8:00 pm.

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In less than two hours, their petition grew by more than 100 names due to overwhelming support from La Jolla pedestrians. Dave Doctor, organizer of the protest march, was not surprised by their reaction. “People were also supportive in Mission Beach,” said Doctor. “Many of the people who like the curfew believe that everyone should be in by 10 p.m. They are like swimmers who want to outlaw surfing.”

During the march, pedestrians voiced their support and even joined the march. “There are few things more inspiring than watching people spontaneously join a march for freedom,” said Doctor.

Doctor continued to emphasize that thousands of cities, including New York, fight crime without curfew laws. “We marched to show the entire county that we should punish criminals, not honest Americans,” said Doctor. “The curfew law is oppressive. It is like punishing all of your children even though only one of them didn’t do his homework.”

Despite being struck down as unconstitutional in June, and then revised less than one month later, many La Jolla pedestrians were unaware of the law. To promote the new law, the city will begin an anti-gang campaign which will include posters and television commercials that feature the curfew.

“We do not not have taxpayer money to get our point across, but we have our feet,” said Doctor. “To paraphrase one woman after the Montgomery bus boycott, at the end of this campaign, ‘our feet will be tired, but our souls will be rested.’”

Next Saturday, August 9th, there will be another protest march in La Jolla. “We will bring our campaign to every town in San Diego county,” said Doctor. “Mission Beach, La Jolla, and every town with people who, after three years of silent disgust, yearn for an opportunity to speak out against the curfew.”

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“Last night proved that this campaign has awakened people from an undignified stupor,” said Dave Doctor, organizer of the rally. “No longer will people under 18, or their parents, accept illogical laws that punish honest Americans rather than criminals.”

Over the past two weeks, local residents have felt the impact of the protest. Cars honk their horns, pedestrians shout out their support, and the curfew protesters chant in unison about their rights. Doctor has responded by encouraging the protesters to lower their voices and he will also no longer use a megaphone.

“We can accomplish our goals without disturbing local residents,” said Doctor. “I only hope that residents are also calling the Mayor. If they ask the Mayor to adopt more effective crime prevention methods, she could repeal the law and we would gladly stop our protest.”

At last night’s rally, a local ska band violated the noise code. Police stopped the band but did not make any arrests. The protesters, who were not involved with the band, have a First Amendment right to attend a political rally.

“Unlike the curfew law, the police did not throw the baby out with the bath water,” said Doctor. “The police spoke to the 5 band members but allowed the other 145 peaceful individuals to continue their protest.”

Doctor was excited about the turnout. “This campaign is only 2 weeks old and already more than 150 people are actively protesting,” said Doctor. “Like the Blacks of Birmingham who buried segregation, we will also place San Diego’s curfew into the cemetery of oppressive laws.”

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“The law is as inhumane as the discriminatory laws against the Japanese in WWII,” said Dave Doctor, organizer of the rally. “At that time, the government assumed that all Japanese people were guilty. Fifty years later, the government is doing the same thing to people under 18.”

From 10 p.m. until Midnight, the protesters stayed enclosed in the chicken wire. The wire stretched 50 feet in circumference and was 6 feet high.

“Imagine spending one third of every day in prison,” said Doctor. “For eight hours every day, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., people under 18 are fenced in by the government.”

Throughout the night, Doctor contrasted the perception of America against the reality of the day to day lives of citizens under 18. “The torch of the Statue of Liberty is not burning tonight. It has been snuffed out by the heavy hand of Susan Golding and the City Council,” said Doctor. “Not until all citizens are treated equally can America be called the land of the free.”

Tonight, Rebel Rebel, a Los Angeles band, will perform at the rally in Mission Bay Park across from the Belmont Roller Coaster, from 10 p.m. to Midnight. Protesters vow to continue their rallies until the City Council repeals the curfew.

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“The curfew has turned all individuals under 18 into a second-class citizens and transformed their homes into prisons,” said Dave Doctor, organizer of the rally. “Under the guise of crime control, Warden Golding has sentenced people under 18 to a nightly prison term.”

The curfew law requires that citizens under 18 remain in their homes after 10 p.m. The government granted these individuals certain exceptions. These exceptions include, but are not limited to, being accompanied by an individual’s parent, guardian, or by a responsible adult. Citizens that are over 18 may travel freely without fear of criminal prosecution.

“Once again, the government is sponsoring discrimination,” said Doctor. “About 35 years ago, the government forced black people to sit on the back of the bus. Now, in 1997, because of their age rather than their skin color, people under 18 cannot move freely at night.”

Doctor said that he and the other protesters will not accept anything less than full repeal of the law. “If Mayor Golding offered to change the curfew to Midnight, that would be like allowing Black people in the 1960s to sit in the middle of the bus.”

“We will not stop rallying until all individuals are treated with respect,” said Doctor. “People under 18 are being treated like second-class citizens. The chicken wire on Friday night will make that clear.” The rally will be held in Mission Bay Park, across from the Belmont Roller Coaster, from 10 p.m. to Midnight.

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“We want the Mayor to show us exactly how the crime rate has declined because of the curfew,” said Doctor. “We believe that the Mayor’s statement is an insult to the San Diego Police Department. Crime has declined during the day and night, but not due to the Mayor’s curfew law. Crime has declined because of the hard work of the police department.”

“I know the Mayor would love to take credit for reducing crime, but the reality, Mayor Golding, is that San Diego’s finest are responsible for making the city safer,” said Doctor.

At one point during last night’s rally, the protesters chanted, “more police, less laws.” Doctor said that to fight crime the city should repeal the law and hire more police. “This would ensure that we punish only criminals and not honest teenagers,” said Doctor.

After a weekend of rallies, citizens returned on Monday night for the fourth consecutive rally. The rallies, which take place at Mission Bay Park, across from the Belmont Roller Coaster, are growing each night.

“The rallies just keep getting better,” said Dave Doctor, organizer of the rally. “People are beginning to realize that they can and should fight for their freedom.”

A rally volunteer will be distributing flyers at Correia Junior High School in Point Loma at 11:40 p.m. The school is located at 4302 Valeta St.. The fifth rally will be tonight, from 10 p.m. to Midnight. Rebel Rebel, a band from Los Angeles, will play at Saturday night’s rally.

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